Strings of Sin

Chapter 6

The icewing winked at Stardom as they began to blush. Uncertainties surrounded December's mind, misunderstandings of themselves began to arise... himself... herself... who were they again? Maybe they didn't need to be them for the time being, they could be another character! Nobody could tell them who they should be anymore, so they could be one of the Dragonets of Destiny if they wanted to be! And they blushed and blushed more as Stardom began to peer in the direction of his strange friend.

"What's up with you?" Stardom said to the blue-faced icewing as he began to smile awkwardly.

"Oh, I was just thinking," December withdrew themself from the moment and blushed more.

"What were you thinking about?" Stardom pressured him as he began to recognize his friend's unusual behavioral patterns.

"It's nothing important..." the icewing fully sealed themself away and stopped in their tracks.

"It's okay, you can tell me anything," the nightwing stopped too and came over to listen. "I won't judge you like your father normally would."

"I..." December looked away and fell on the cold sand beneath their talons. They buried their face into the sand and pretended that it was a blanket, and they mumbled. "Mmpphh..."

"What, Des?" Stardom carefully settled his talons on the icewing's shoulder.

The icewing looked up at Stardom with tears in their eyes and spoke. "I... I... I... nothing..."

"Do you want to go back home?" Stardom asked and held his friend in his claws like he was a delicate, graceful dove.

"No!" the icewing responded and counted their courage. "I just want you to refer to me as... as... I don't know..."

"Take your time," the nightwing whispered and waited patiently.

"I want you to call me Queen Glory, from now on," December squeezed out and looked away.

"Okay, if it makes you feel better," Stardom spoke softly and wondered what that was all about.

"Thank you! You actually listened to me!" December jumped up and down and turned his sad tears into tears of happiness. "You're the best friend I have ever had! And I almost forgot my crown!" the icewing proceeded to pick through her bags until her talons met with the light, soft touch of flowers. She pulled out her crown and laid it on her head and changed her attitude to something else... something more regal. "I am the queen, Star, and I command that we go forward!" she waited for Stardom's reaction and followed up with comical reassurance. "Do you really think I would ever command you to do something, Star? That was just sarcasm, now come on!"

The icewing, who was now pretending to be Queen Glory, led the way and left Stardom behind to think. But he was getting very tired, and he didn't want to overthink other dragons too much. So he concluded that this was just a December thing because everyone is allowed to put a price tag on one of their strange desires. And he smiled, knowing that he might have just helped someone, and Forgiveness smiled back at him, he imagined.

After some walking and much flying, the two dragons finally arrived at their destination. The old stronghold loomed eerily, like a dark mountain, against the horizon line of the flat desert. Dunes covered the base of the tall structure, and as Stardom and December flew closer, the dunes unveiled the bright entrance to the queen's palace that lay humble and welcoming against the surrounding shadowy, cold sand. The two dragons came down for a quick landing and charged their bodies for the patch of sandstone built before the grand gate. Stardom lifted his upper body and touched the ground with his hind legs, first, and met the sandstone with his front talons, afterward; December copied him more gracefully. And there were two guards positioned on both sides of the entrance, and they stopped the lurking dragonets with their spears.